I love growing things in straw bales! A few years back I read the book Straw Bale Gardening by Joel Karsten. The idea is basic. When you add nitrogen to a straw (not hay) bale it starts to decompose. As it decomposes it releases nutrients that feed other plants. Straw bale gardening provides a nutrient grow space that can be placed anywhere. No digging, no kneeling, and fewer pests. Sounds amazing right? Well, I have to give it to Joel, it really is. I have been planting a straw bale garden for three years now and have had a lot of success with it. I have had some difficulties as well, but what gardener doesn’t?

This year I am going to experiment in my front yard with a straw bale garden. I have a lannon stone home that gets full sun and has a water source. There is little landscaping that gets in the way. My plan is to GO BIG and show the neighborhood and my blog followers how the straw bale garden is started and how it develops throughout the summer. You can try it too! All you really need are straw bales, nitrogen to begin the decomposition process, drip irrigation or easy access to frequent watering, some good quality potting soil and either seeds or transplants. Stay tuned!

When deciding to start a straw bale garden you first need to locate where you want to place the straw bales. You need a spot that receives full daytime sun. When you decide where they should go, you have to stick to your decision. Once the straw bale has been watered and conditioned it is super heavy and will be very difficult to move.

Straw

You then need to purchase straw bales. They should cost 3-5 dollars each. First of all make sure that it is straw not hay. Hay will contain grass and weed seeds and be a mess. Straw will not. Yes, there will be some grass that pops up along with mushrooms but it is easily removed. You can find straw bales from local farmers, garden stores and big box stores like Home Depot. Next you need to position the straw bale so that the straw is lined up and down and the twine holding it together is parallel to the ground. Preferably there should be 2-3 pieces of twine holding it together as it starts to decompose and fill with water it may fall apart.

Conditioning

There are various methods of conditioning a straw bale. The bale needs to be conditioned with a high nitrogen fertilizer like ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) or Urea (46-0-0). You can also use blood meal, fish emulsion or Milorganite which are all organic but have varying strengths of nitrogen in them. If you use organic methods then you need to allow a few extra days for the straw to be ready.

DAY 1,2,3 water the bale thoroughly

Day 4 Sprinkle ½ to 1 cup of nitrogen over the top of the bale and water it in, do not over water

Day 5 Water the bale

Day 6 Sprinkle ½ to 1 cup of nitrogen over the top of the bale and water it in

Day 7 water the bale

Day 8 Sprinkle ½ to 1 cup of nitrogen over the top of the bale and water it in

Day 9 Water the bale

Day 10 Keep the bale moist, it should start warming up

Keep the bale moist for a few more days and then it should be ready for planting.

*** I have to say here that there are many ways to condition a straw bale with various forms of nitrogen and amounts and schedules. Use what works for you. Some people even urinate on the bales instead of buying nitrogen but as a health care worker, I would not recommend this practice!

Fertilization

There is literature suggesting that after day 10 you water in a complete fertilizer. Yes, the bale will need an even fertilizer that is not Miracle Grow a few times over the summer. This can either be added to the bale as a side dressing (or crammed into the bale at various intervals and slowly watered in) or added to the top of the bale and watered in. This is my preferred method. Should the leaves turn yellow you will need to add nitrogen and a complete fertilizer should help. If you have questions, you can email me thegardenrn@gmail.com and I’ll try to help.

Planting

You can plant either seeds or transplants. After the preparation of the bale you can take good potting mix or organic compost and put it down 2 -4 inches thick on top of the bale. DO NOT use soil out of your garden. Why introduce weeds?? Plant your seeds in the soil and keep the bale wet but not drenched. Or you can remove portions of the straw bale in clumps, 2-3 inches deep, put in potting soil around the transplant and place the transplant in the bale. Or you can do both seeds and transplants! Whatever makes you happy. Last year I transplanted some pathetic looking tiny kale starts that I had neglected and the kale grew vigorous and was yummy. Ask my neighbor Deb.

Spacing

Cantaloupe -2

Cucumbers 2-3

Peppers 3-5

Pumpkin 2

Squash 2-3

Tomatoes 2-3

Green Beans /Kale/Swiss Chard 5-6

Peas 12

I also like to plant Nasturtiums, an edible flower, down the front of the bale, pretty and delicious at the same time!

Water

This is very, very important. I prefer a dripper hose, some use a gallon milk jug with holes punched into the cap turned upside down a few inches away from the plant. Whatever method you choose, they require a lot of water.

Also, I find that tomatoes, squash, peppers and cucumbers grow like Crazy in the bales. The bale stays warm and the vegetables love being warm. Kale, bok choy and lettuce were all vigorous growers as well but I had an issue with slugs and I could not keep them away. This was my only problem with the bales.